Throughout the match,there was only one thing in common between Chandigarh Comets and the scenario at the Sector 42 hockey stadium: a deserted look. Like the inaugural match,which the home team lost to Bhopal Badshahs 4-3,Chandigarh Comets looked lacklustre in their 5-3 defeat to Chennai Cheetahs,who too had come into the match after a 5-3 thrashing at the hands of Sher-e-Punjab in their first match.

For the second time in a row,attendance at the stadium remained woefully low. Once again shunned by the spectators,the Sector 42 hockey stadium gave a sorry look to the hockey league.

It also did not help that the home team performed way below their potential. Rahul Verma,who had specially come from Panchkula to watch the match,summed it up perfectly.

They were pathetic. The home team was literally running all around the ground to gain possession of the ball. If they do not fare well in the next match,why would anybody come to see a beaten and bruised team in action?

However,there were few rare moments in the match when the home team earned applauds from the crowd. Those were

moments when the Comets came agonisingly close to scoring but the ball simply seem to refuse to strike the board.

Balbir Singh senior,holder of Guiness record for maximum number of goals and chief guest of the moment,gave the crowd something to cheer about. Otherwise,it was just the two dholkiwalas who kept beating their drums throughout,and kept the tempo going.

The crowd spent most of their time chatting,and looked for those rare moments when the home teams came close to scoring. Rehan Butt,the enigmatic skipper of the team,who looked off colour till half time,gave the thin crowd something to cheer about when he scored the second goal for his team and reduced the visitors lead.

We wish Rehan had played in the first match. He is a wonderful striker and could turn the tables for Chandigarh Comets, shared Jaswinder Singh,a resident of Mohali. Chandigarh Comets next play Sher e Punjab at their home ground on March 8.